Untitled
by CubeEscape
Summary: The Kira case was over. Halle had the chance to see a different Near: so fragile, so human,...


**I've written a lot of fics about Meronia. I'm obsessed, what can I say? Anyway, this fic is about them, too, but from a different point of view. I hope you like it :))))**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Death Note.**

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Halle yawned, rubbing her blurry eyes. Rester and Gievanni had already left. She was always the last one to stay and cleaned up their papers. Halle took out her phone and flipped it open.

 **January 29th, 2010. 01:31 am.**

It was already that late? Or rather, that early? No wonder she was so exhausted. The blonde woman could pass out right here, right now. Not to mention that the SPK'd had a long day after the confrontation with Kira. Yawning one more time, she stood up, stacking her files and documents neatly, then prepared to go home.

When passing Near's room, Halle had a sudden urge to check on the boy. She hadn't seen him all day, and that fact made her worry. Of course she did: Near was smart, smarter than anyone Halle knew, but he's still young and kinda childish. Hesitantly, Halle knocked on the cold door.

"Come in." Came a soft reply. She opened the door and walked in, then froze.

The darkness held over the bleach white room, all lights were turned off. The lone window was wide opened, letting gentle moonlights fill the room and land on alabaster skin and silky white hair.

In that almost darkness, sat Near in his usual posture, bathed in the moonlight, glowing softly.

And the strange thing: no toys in sight.

Actually, no. The strangest thing was that there was a half empty bottle beside him, along with a glass. Halle could smell it. Alcohol.

"Hello Halle. I'm surprised that you're still here." The albino greeted in his monotone. After a few seconds, Halle was able to find her voice.

"Near, you're...drinking?" Said boy looked at the bottle, then back at her.

"I suppose I am." He smiled, an odd and almost drunken smile. It sent her chill.

"I didn't know that you can drink liquor..." At this, Near shrugged nonchalantly.

"So I've heard." Halle slowly approached the young detesctive, sitting in front of him before took the bottle, examined it carefully.

"Chivas 18. You know, for someone like you, you have a strange taste." She commented. Near just shrugged again, solemnly brought the glass to his lips and took a sip.

"I know."

Halle wanted to know, wanted to know the motivation, wanted to know the reason behind the white haired boy's behaviour, but she couldn't bring herself to ask him. She's afraid that she might know the answer. So Halle just sat there, observing Near as the adolescent continued to full filled the glass and drink it.

Despite the darkness, Halle could see it: a familiar finger puppet, with blonde hair, black clothes and mischievous smirk, clutched tightly in Near's small palm. And right beside his right foot was a chocolate bar whose only one square had been eaten.

"Why don't you finish your chocolate?" She asked, only to receive silence. Near'd stopped drinking, his eyes locked on the floor, pondering whether to answer or not. Halle wondered if she had made a wrong move, but chose to keep silence.

"...It's bitter..." He responded quietly.

"So is alcohol." Halle tried to lighten up the mood. At this, Near laughed. It was the first time she heard that sound since she met the boy. It was throaty, dry,...haunting and hollow.

"True." He went back to his drink without another word.

An uncomfortable silence.

"Listen, Near, I miss _him_ too..." Halle whispered. The albino stiffened, understood the underlying message.

 _You can cry._

"No." He swallowed, whispered back. "Mello wouldn't want a weak rival..."

"Near, it's oka-"

"I am L now." The boy cut her off sternly.

Near's words reminded her the cruelty of this world. The Kia case was over. Near now was justice, the only hope of the world. And no one could help him handle this burden, except for one mafioso who was now gone, who was supposed to stand beside him in his battles, _their_ battles.

Being L meant being alone, being emotionless, meant solving case after case, witnessing crime after crime, meant giving up your soul.

Halle could feel the weight on those small shoulders: the weight of being an orphan, of being a successor, of a witness, of the last one standing, of the world's expectation,... All of it. And when the sun rises in just a few more hours, this moment, the chance to have a normal life, the chance to _be_ normal, to feel, to cry,... everything would be over.

Now, what Halle was seeing wasn't the greatest detective, but a lonely boy who had started with nothing and now ended with less.

"Will you stay?" Near's voice broke the silence, broke her trance of thoughts. Halle was startled, but soon smiled warmly at him.

"I'd love to."

"...I'm glad..." Near's smiled was tiny, but it was there, and it was genuine.

"Anyway, it'd be selfish of me to enjoy this alone..." The white haired boy gestured to the bottle, another glass in his hand. "Would you like some?"

"Definitely."


End file.
